Removable plug for openings in meter casings



Sept. 23, 1952 WAYMAN 2,611,507

REMOVABLE PLUG FOR OPENINGS IN METER CASINGS Filed Jan. '7, 1952 FIG. 1.

FIG. 2.

I INVENTOR. fiL /ERT q. WAYM RN flTT WEY Patented Sept. 23, 1952 r 211611507 amountsssue roa'oensmcs ru CASINGS; meri East Fastener-time;

ing'casing-ornhousingion theipurpose ofiefieotihg the connection of one or more electric cables; to the:-device 'by; means of screw thrcaded-connecterse. .Frequentlyitheicasing isiprovidedrwith more op'eningsitha-mare requiremaandi it becomes nec'es sary: to; close: the; openings i. in orderi to: protect theiadevic'e from the eflect'sioi moisturaor other; material. that might; eaten: through. the openings',i. ands-to prevent; the them of. cur-rent through the openingsa. V p

Anaobject-ofl the present:inventiomisstos devise a c1osure; which may be; quicklw easily? an plied andremoved:

Another; objecteiszitos provide'fomtha lockingcot. thezclosuree-in:position;and.to preventiunauthora iz'edremoval oftheclosura:

Another. object 113 to: emhodyv asealing gasketr within;-v the: closure to; seairtheeopeningr against. the: entrance onmoisturea Still another object: to: provide; a closure: whichmav; beapplied andsremovedawithout disc connecting; the 1 power fronnthe; cable's; enterings theeasing a e v.

' invention is illustrated. in thezacc'ompanyr' t ingidrawin'gg.in whichi-Figure l is a fragmentary sectional view of a portion of a casing or housing of an electricali devicet showihgthe removable closure mounted. imposition- -.to closesan. unused threaded opening in the -casing-,,-;and--Figure 2 is a:- sectional view oi. the plug, or. closure similar to the showing-iiiTigdtel';"andshowing"the use of a shieldeor; guard extendingaovei the endofi the locking'escrewi f I Referring; to the drawing. a fragmentary-sec tion-oi 'the'xzasingof theelectrlcaiidevioe is own iniFlgur-el: Thiswmaybe the 'casihg of aneleetric meter. or the casing of an electric switch or other device. The casing is formed of a side wall i and a bottom wall la. The open top is closed by a suitable cover plate, not shown. The casing is provided with a number of openings 2 through which connecting cables may be introduced into the casing, only one opening being shown in Figure 1. Each opening is surrounded by a sleeve 3 integrally formed with the casing wall. The sleeve 3 is provided with internal threads for receiving the threaded end of a connector secured to a cable to be introduced through the opening 2. while the drawing shows names, k

thei internally' threadeli' sleeve" eitehdifig 'tfi tfie outside of the c-asing,in some case's niost' the sleeve 3 will be located inwardly of the c Wherean open iii'g i-ssriot usedi I providew-pluik llke'closure foi the opening,as'showifih 1?. The closure: plug: is formed of a3 tiihu1ar ha G head: 4a: which is' forfiied with-an annularfiange ending over the? notes end of-tiie I nange portion:wis prdvideawitir faoe whicheiitends oiitwardl" shame-4 and:seats"-upon therrawnnma the outei en'd' or the' sleev'F aie-siitcioth outside cylindrical surface 01'" eter 'somewnatg less' than theihternal diaiiieter without a-serewingoperat bfi Y The tubularshank 4 is-provided witha thlcl introduced 'thro'ugh the' opensidecr the casingiiij a direction' inclined" somewhat to theverticali V this way it'fisnot'necessaryfor the screwdiiver t'o' ext'eh'd 1a-tera11 1nto the -casiiig from the open: in? Whe'ref it" might interfere with" the electrical" parts enclosed within the-casing: 'Ifiis possifiie tam tau' my improved c1osure-"p1u'gwithoutdi connecting the" electric power from" the cou e-c tioiisinsid of the casing. p

For the purpose of sealingthe unused" pen; ifigs against entrancepf moisture; anannular' re cess 4d is formed in the flat face of the annular flange portion 41) adjacent the shank 4, and this recess is filled with a suitable permanently plastic sealing compound 6. Each plug, when sold on the market, may have its individual supply of sealing compound already applied in the recess M, or the compound may be applied at the time the plug is installed in a casing. Preferably, the quantity of compound applied to the plug would be in excess of that required to fill the recess 4d. and some of the excess would be forced into the outer end of the sleeve 3 to form a better seal.

Injury to the internal threads of the sleeve 3 g,- .4 Al 3 by the screw may be prevented by providing a guard extending over the end of the screw, as shown in Figure 2. This guard may be formed of a thin strip of metal 1 bent into U-shape, one leg of the U extending along the upper surface of the thickened portion 40 and having a hole through which the screw 5 passes, and the other leg extending on the outside of the shank 4 to cover the end of the screwf,j 5;' j The guard l is deformable by the endof thescrew to lock the plug in the opening, but it prevents direct engagement of the hardened end of the screw with the threads 3a.

It is not essential that the shank-portion 4 ofthe plu be tubular, since thisportion may" be formed solid except for a cavity sufliciently large to receive the screw 5 and the endof the guard piece 7. The construction shownis preferred for economy in the use of metal.

slightly smaller than that of said opening, an en- -larged head portion on one end of said shank having-an annular flange presenting a flat annuiar face extending radially outward from the outer surface of said shank, the other end of said shank having acavity formed therein, a locking screw threadediin a-hole extending from said cav- The shank of the plug must be sufficiently long 7 so that screw 5 may be turned by a screw-driver inserted through the opening {from the opposite side Qfthewall I, a T

A clos ev fonclosing internally threaded openings in; casings of electrical devices comprisingaplughavinga shank portion formedof a smooth cylindrical outer surface of a diameter slightly smaller than that of said opening, an enlarged head portion on one end of said shank having an annular flange presenting a flat annular face extending radially outward from the outer surface'of said shank, the other end of said shank having 'a cavity formed therein, a locking,, screw threaded in a hole extending from said cavity tov the outside of said shank on an axis arranged atan acute angle to the plane of said annular flange, said flange having an annular recess formed in said flat annular face, and plastic sealing compound filling said annular recess; 3

ZQA closure for closing internally threaded openingsfm casings of electrical devices comprising a plug having a shank portion formed of a smoothcylindrical outer surface of a diameter slightly smaller than that of said opening, an enlarged head portionon one end of said shank having an'annular flange presentin a flat annular.face extending. radially outward from the;

outer surface of said shank, the other-rend of said shank having a cavity formed therein, and a locking screw threadedin a hole extending from said cavity to the outside of said shank on an axis arranged at an acute angle to the plane of said,

annular flange, said flange having anannular recess formed in said flat annular face.

31A closure for closing internally threaded openings'in casings of electrical devices compris ing'aplug havinga shank portion formed oifa smooth cylindrical iou'ter surface of a diameter slightly smaller than that of said opening, anenlarg'ed head portion on one end of saidshank having an annular flange presentinga flat annulair face extending radially outward from the ity to the outside of said shank on an axis arranged atan acute angle to the plane of said annular flange, and a thin metallic strip having one end-atherehf connected ftoi thef head-endmf said-ixscrew and the other end arranged .to. cover theouter end of said screws. r v 5. A closure according to.iclaini i1 and'-includ-. ing a thimmetallicstrip having one end-thereof connectedtoithe head-end of said screw andIthe other end arranged ,to'cover the outerend of said screw. 1 6. ,In combination, a. casing adapted to house an; electrical device and having an opening formed therein, an internally threaded sleeve suitrounding said opening and formed integrally with said casing; a closure for said openingcompris ing, acplug having. ai smooth cylindricalishank portionextending into said sleeve and an' en,-' larged head portion on theouter-end offsaid shank'portion, said headportion having anzannular flange presentingia fiat; annularfaceadapm ed to seat upon the flat outer end face of saidv sleeve, the inner end of said shank having a cavity formed therein, and. a locking screw threaded in a hole extending from said cavity to-the outside of said: shanknn an "axis arranged at-an acute angle to tha plane of said annular flange; 7. A structure according to claim 6 wherein the annular flange of. said plug has'anannular recess formed in. the flat annular facef thereof; a nd inc1uding=a plastic sealing compound filling said ah nular recess and forming a moisture"lseal be-- tweengsaid flange and theouter end'o f said sleeve. .i ..ALBERT. J.-. WAYMAN; 1

; REFERENCES CITED The following references are; of "record in the fil .of'lthisupatehti 4;" x., 11' 'IJ hTITED STATES ,PATEN'IS Number Names .3 ,Datef it 1,670,442 Fetter May;22,\1928 2,186,431, ;-;Riley Jan;.9;1940 2,461,259 Ciarfello a Feb.l8',19492 Redman 

